


Nightmares

by I3utterflyEffect



Category: The Property of Hate
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, i wasn't really trying too hard admittedly, it's mostly just to get a feel for the characters, maybe a little bit ooc idk, poor hero has trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 01:29:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20381446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I3utterflyEffect/pseuds/I3utterflyEffect
Summary: Hero has a different nightmare. A much, much worse one.Spoilers for Target Audience/Ex Position.





	Nightmares

“Areas where the sea is highly saturated can form crystals of thought,” RGB explained, gesturing to the walls where the crystals were. “This is the purest form of ‘stuff’. These are dreams. As you might imagine, in a world _made_ of ‘stuff’, they are extremely valuable and highly sought.”

Hero looked at the crystals curiously. “But there’s lots of them here!”

“Yes…” RGB said, looking down the passageway. “But extracting them is a tricky business: Dreams are as difficult to retrieve here as they are in your world.” He said. “Some are too deeply set to be removed, while the others shatter with the lightest touch. And, of course, if you are particularly unlucky—” He turned to her. “—You might find that the dream you sought was actually a night…”

He trailed off as Hero screamed, falling back as she was swarmed by a nightmare.

“…mare… ah.”

He ran over to her. “Hero? Hero, it’s alright!” He said, grasping at the nightmare as it wound around her tightly. “Just hold still while I…!”

His hand gripped on the nightmare as it caught in her schism, squirming. “Ha! Got it!” He shouted, yanking at it to try and retrieve it from her schism. “Honestly, you nightmares have… absolutely _no_ manners!” He growled, before kicking it away. “And stay out, you impudent excuse of an Ephialtes!” He yelled, watching in satisfaction as it dissolved away into nothing.

“Hero? It’s alright now… Hero?” He turned, only to see Hero was curled up, hiding her face in her hands as she sobbed. “Oh, _please _don’t go all to pieces on me… Look, it’s all gone now— so, just… pull yourself together, and—“

He trailed off as she flailed, finally grabbing onto his arm. “Ah… yes, that’s right, that’s me! I’m—“

She crawled into his arms, and he recoiled in surprise, left speechless as the girl clung onto him for dear life, still trembling. He sighed, hugging her. “I’m here. I’m here.”

* * *

She had been nonverbal for a worrying amount of time, holding onto his chest tightly and barely allowing him to move at all.

“Hero?” He murmured. “Are you still awake?”

She nodded.

And, finally, spoke.

“The nightmare… w-was about the m-marketplace…”

“Ah…?”

“I-I had t-the g-g-gun, and I-I-I— I didn’t _mean to—_ but— I— T-The g-gun— you— It was all my _fault and—_!”

He let out a breath, unsure how to comfort her. “It’s okay, Hero. That’s not what happened and—” He recoiled as he felt a shock on his arm, hissing in pain. “Damnation…”

  
“I-I’m sorry!” Hero broke down worse, sputtering broken fragments of apology. 

“Hero, hero, calm down, it’s okay! You didn’t mean to!” He looked at her. “Ah— Perhaps _I_ should be the one pulling myself together, if only I know how!” He said, in an attempt to make her laugh.

He couldn’t quite tell if she was laughing or crying worse.

A small smile broke across her face, and he sighed in relief.

“Come on. We’d best get moving.” He said, helping her onto her feet.

“Mhm…” She rubbed away the tears.

It was a quiet walk from there.

He found himself thinking back to what Madras had said when he’d first taken Hero to the House of Paint.

_“Careful. You mustn’t get attached to her.”_

…Perhaps he _should_ be listening to Madras more.


End file.
